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A framework for capacity planning and machine configuration in flexible assembly systems

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Abstract

We consider the problem of simultaneously determining the number of machines (and/or workers), the assignment of tasks (and related tools and components) to these machines, and the number of jobs circulating in a flexible assembly system (FAS), to satisfy steady-state throughput requirements for a family of similar products at minimum cost. We focus on situations where there are precedence relations among the various tasks, as is common in assembly systems. We present a framework for solving this problem based on a heuristic decomposition approach which involves the solution of only a few types of sub-problems. We demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the overall procedure using a number of example problems.

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Correspondence to Heungsoon Felix Lee.

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Lee, H.F., Srinivasan, M.M. & Yano, C.A. A framework for capacity planning and machine configuration in flexible assembly systems. Int J Flex Manuf Syst 18, 239–268 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10696-006-9010-4

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